Alabama Contractor License Reciprocity and Which States Count

Alabama's general contractor board has reciprocity with five states, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee and North Carolina, but it works as a partial exam waiver and not as automatic licensing. If you hold a license in good standing in a comparable classification in one of those states, the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors may waive the trade portion of its exam on written certification from that state, and the business law portion is not part of the waiver.

At a glance

• The Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors lists five reciprocal states: Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee and North Carolina.
• The trade portion of the exam may be waived on written certification from the other state. The Board says "The business law portion of the examination shall not be waived."
• The proposed qualified individual must be the same person who qualifies the license in the other state, and the application must be in the Board's office 30 days before a reciprocity license issues.
• The electrical, heating and air, plumbing and home builder boards each publish their own separate lists.

Checked against the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors and four other Alabama boards on October 16, 2026.

What the general contractors board accepts

If you already hold a contractor license in another state, start with the Board's rule on reciprocity, Alabama Administrative Code 230-X-1-.40, effective July 12, 2021. It says a license may be issued on reciprocity to an applicant who holds a current license in a state the Board recognizes as a reciprocity state, has had that license for a one year period from the current application date, has no official disciplinary actions during that year, and asks for a comparable classification. The Board's apply page puts the same idea in simpler terms: applicants must be licensed for 1 year with the same classification being requested in Alabama. Our Alabama contractor license guide covers the rest of the license.

When a license issues on reciprocity, the applicant may have the trade portion of the exam waived on written certification from the state where the applicant is licensed. Three limits come with that. The proposed qualified individual must be the same individual who is duly qualified for the license the other state issued. The applicant must comply with all other Alabama licensing requirements. And the business law portion of the exam is not waived. The rule adds that the Board may waive other requirements for good cause, which is its call and not something to plan around.

The Board's pages show two 30 day statements. The reciprocity page says the application must be in the office for 30 days before a license issues through reciprocity. The apply page says an application has to be on file 30 days before a Board meeting, and that meetings are held quarterly. Ask the Board how the two clocks work together, and check its calendar before you submit.

Alabama publishes no class by class chart for reciprocity. The rule asks for a comparable classification and the apply page asks for the same classification. Rule 230-X-1-.27 lists the major classifications as building construction, building construction under four stories, highways and streets, municipal and utility, heavy and railroad, and specialty construction. Ask the Board whether your home license matches.

Which Alabama boards publish a reciprocity list

Each Alabama board keeps its own list, and the other four do not copy the general contractors list.

Electrical Contractors. The Alabama Electrical Contractors Board lets you apply by reciprocity if you passed an equivalent exam and hold a current license with the Mississippi State Board of Contractors, the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, the North Carolina Electrical Board, the South Carolina Contractor's Board, the Virginia Contractor Licensing Board, the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board or the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, each marked "EC Only," or the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, marked "EC or Journeyman." It also accepts the NASCLA Electrical Contractors Exam, and it says it no longer shares reciprocity with Georgia. You pass the Alabama Business and Law Exam through Prov, then send a notarized application, a verification of license from the other state and the $315.00 non-refundable fee (effective February 14, 2026). See our Alabama electrician license page.

Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration. The Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors lets you apply by reciprocity if you passed an equivalent exam with a score of at least 70% and hold a current and valid license with the Mississippi State Board of Contractors, the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board, the South Carolina Residential Building Commission, the South Carolina Contractor's Board, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board or the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors. Its rule, 440-X-3-.04(2), effective October 14, 2024, also requires no previous or pending disciplinary action. The Board lists a notarized application, a $220.00 processing fee and a $20,000 performance bond in the business name, and its reciprocal affidavit says you are not required to pass the Alabama written exam. See our Alabama HVAC license page.

Plumbers and Gas Fitters. The Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board's Out of State Applicants page says that effective January 1, 2026 it has a reciprocal agreement with the Mississippi Board of Contractors and that more documents are coming soon. The same page says the Board has no active agreements with any other states, and that out of state plumbers may be able to take the exam for an equivalent classification. The Board's Reciprocation page carries only the request forms (LP Board, Master Gas Fitter and Mississippi). Neither page says what the Mississippi agreement waives, so confirm with the Board. See our Alabama plumbing license page.

Home Builders Licensure Board. Its FAQ prints two dates, March 16, 2018 and June 28, 2022, without saying what the second one means. It says a holder of a residential construction license in Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana or North Carolina may be exempt from the Skills section of its exams but must still pass the Business and Law section. Confirm with the Board.

Two cautions on the general contractors list. The prime application instructions (revised 02/2022) name the North Carolina State Board of Electrical Contractors, while the current web pages just say North Carolina, so ask which board counts. And the Board still names Louisiana, while Louisiana's October 23, 2024 notice says its previous agreements are null and void. Ask both boards.

States that accept an Alabama license

The reverse direction is set by the other state, and each board below governs its own application.

• Tennessee. The Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors waiver form (Rev. 06/2026) lists Alabama for residential, general, electrical and HVAC, matching Tennessee classes BC-A, BC-B, CE and CMC-C. It waives the trade exam only, and the Tennessee Business and Law exam is still required except for BC-A/r. The form says the waiver cannot be used for home improvement, limited licensed plumber or limited licensed electrician applications, and that applicants with disciplinary action, open complaints or felony convictions are not eligible. See our Tennessee reciprocity guide.
• Mississippi. The Mississippi State Board of Contractors sheet lists four Alabama boards: General Contractors, Electrical, Heating and Air, and Home Builders. For general contractors it waives all exams but mechanical and plumbing, and it can waive HVAC. For the general contractor and home builder lines, you must hold a current license, have taken the exam and have no discipline in the last year. Mississippi charges $50 for each exam waived and still requires its Law and Business Management exam.
• Arkansas. The Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board form instructions name Alabama and require a valid Alabama contractor license for at least one year. A new Arkansas application is still required, and trade classifications must meet that agency's own requirements.
• North Carolina. The North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors has no full reciprocity but lists Alabama among its exam waiver agreements, and the NC Business and Law exam is still required. The separate NC electrical board's Alabama page matches an Alabama Unlimited licensee to four NC electrical classes. See our North Carolina reciprocity guide.
• South Carolina. The South Carolina Contractors Licensing Board chart accepts Alabama electrical, heating and air conditioning and refrigeration exams, and you still pass its commercial Business, Law and Project Management exam. Separately, the Alabama HVAC board and the South Carolina Residential Builders Commission have a two way HVAC agreement effective February 6, 2019. It requires a Residential Specialty HVAC license and no revocation in the past five years. See our South Carolina reciprocity guide.
• Ohio. The Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board form requires a current Alabama license and a test taken in Alabama. Each trade needs its own application and $25.00 fee.
• Texas. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation announced on March 20, 2026 reciprocal agreements with the Alabama State Board of Electrical Contractors for journeyman and master electricians who have held a license in good standing for at least one year.
• Louisiana. The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors notice of October 23, 2024 accepts a passed test from any other state, with no waivers, exemptions or grandfathering in effect, and names no states. See our Louisiana reciprocity guide.
• Georgia. The Georgia general contractor FAQ names Louisiana, Mississippi and, for residential basic, South Carolina. Its electrical, plumbers and conditioned air divisions say they offer no reciprocity. None names Alabama. See our Georgia reciprocity guide.

For the full picture across states, see the contractor license reciprocity by state hub.

What reciprocity leaves on your plate in Alabama

The Board's prime application instructions (revised 02/2022, so use the current application as the final word) list the $300 fee, liability insurance, a Secretary of State registration print screen for entities, the Qualifying Party form, a financial statement under one year old, three work references and an organizational chart. They also set a minimum net worth and working capital of $10,000 for bid limits.

The exams run through PSI. The Board's testing page says applications received January 22, 2008 forward require a trade exam as well as the Business and Law exam, and it points to the PSI bulletin for study material. Read the PSI candidate bulletin for Alabama general contractors. The instructions say a complete application must be on file before anyone can register for an exam. Our guide to scheduling contractor exams and the Business and Law exam by state page explain the process.

Steps for a contractor moving into Alabama

1. Find the Alabama board that licenses your trade and check that your home board is on its list. For general contractors, confirm one year of licensure with no discipline.
2. Ask the Board whether your home classification is comparable to the Alabama classification you want.
3. Download the Prime Application. Complete the top portion of the Out of State License Verification form and send it to your home board for written certification.
4. Name on the Qualifying Party form the same individual who qualifies your home license.
5. Gather your financial statement, insurance certificate, Secretary of State registration, references and the $300 fee.
6. File so the application is on file 30 days prior to a Board meeting; the Board's calendar shows quarterly and administrative meetings.
7. Register with PSI for the Business and Law exam, and any trade exam not waived, once the Board says you are eligible.
8. For electrical, heating and air, plumbing or home builder licenses, use that board's own application and fees.

Frequently asked questions

Does Alabama license me automatically if I hold a license in a listed state? No. The Board may waive the trade portion of the exam on written certification from that state. You still pass the business law portion and meet all other Alabama requirements.

Does a Georgia, Florida or Texas license count? Not at the general contractors board, whose list names none of them. The electrical and HVAC boards list Texas, the electrical board says it no longer shares reciprocity with Georgia, and none of the Alabama board pages we read names Florida.

Does the home builder license use the general contractor list? No. The Home Builders Licensure Board has its own FAQ and list, and it requires the Business and Law section even from the five states it names.

Can a company use reciprocity if the person who qualified the other license is not available? The rule requires the same individual to qualify both licenses. Ask the Board about any exception, since rule 230-X-1-.40 lets the Board waive other requirements for good cause.

Does an Alabama license work in the other states? Several boards name Alabama, as the table above shows, but each applies its own exams and conditions, so file with the board you are applying to.

When reciprocity does not fit

Sometimes a license cannot move by reciprocity, for example when the person who qualifies your home license cannot also qualify an Alabama license, or a person cannot sit or pass the exam in time. A company can still be licensed through a qualifying agent who already holds the license and qualifies the company as an owner or full time W-2 employee who supervises the work. Alabama's rule 230-X-1-.36(2), Authorized To Take Examination, governs who may take the exam and lists "any individual contractor, co-partner, any corporate officer, member, or full-time employee of 90 days with limited written power of attorney." Subsection (1) of the same rule says a qualifying party "may qualify for multiple entities if he/she is majority owner (50% or more) in each entity." Ask the Board how an arrangement should be set up. Our contractor qualifier services explain the model, and what a qualifying agent is and our Alabama contractor license qualifier page show how it works in this state.

Talk to people who hold the licenses

Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski, our founders, are licensed general contractors, master electricians, master plumbers and master mechanical contractors. If you are not sure which route into Alabama is faster, call 615-219-2110 or start at Hire a Qualifying Agent. Our live exam classes are coming soon.

Sources

All pages and documents were read October 16, 2026.

• Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors, Reciprocity
• Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors, How to Apply for a License
• Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors, Testing
• Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors, Prime Application Instructions, Revised 02/2022
• Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors, Calendar
• Alabama Administrative Code 230-X-1-.40, Reciprocity For License
• Alabama Administrative Code 230-X-1-.27, Major Classifications
• Alabama Administrative Code 230-X-1-.36, Qualifying Party
• PSI candidate bulletin for Alabama general contractors
• Alabama Electrical Contractors Board, Reciprocity Applications
• Alabama Electrical Contractors Board, Reciprocal Application for Licensure
• Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors, How to Get Licensed
• Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors, VL-2 Reciprocal Affidavit
• Alabama Administrative Code 440-X-3-.04, Forms of Licensing
• Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board, Out of State Applicants
• Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board, Reciprocation
• Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board, Does the Board reciprocate with any other State?
• Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, Trade Exam Waiver (Reciprocity), Rev. 06/2026
• Mississippi State Board of Contractors, Reciprocity Information, Revised 07/2025
• Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, Reciprocal Form Instructions, Revised 3/2025
• North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors, FAQ for Contractors
• NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, Alabama Reciprocity
• South Carolina Contractors Licensing Board, Technical Exam Waiver Agreements, Revised 5/2026
• South Carolina LLR, Alabama and South Carolina HVAC reciprocity agreement, effective February 6, 2019
• Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board, Alabama Reciprocity Application
• Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Texas Expands Electrician Reciprocity with Alabama, March 20, 2026
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Reciprocity change letter, October 23, 2024
• Georgia Secretary of State, Residential and Commercial General Contractors FAQ
• Georgia Board of Electrical Contractors FAQ
• Georgia Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers FAQ
• Georgia Board of Conditioned Air FAQ